1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to gated diode structures within semiconductor structures. More particularly, the invention relates to gated diode structures including relaxed liners within semiconductor structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
In addition to resistors, capacitors and transistors, semiconductor structures and semiconductor circuits often also include diodes. Diodes within semiconductor structures and semiconductor circuits are desirable and functional within the context of any of several signal processing applications, as well as temperature sensing and stress sensing applications, and further as well as electrostatic protection applications.
A particular type of diode structure that is desirable and common within semiconductor fabrication technology is a gated diode structure. A gated diode structure is otherwise generally analogous in structure and dimensions with a field effect transistor structure, but differs insofar as the source and drain regions within a gated diode structure have different polarities (i.e., conductivity type). Gated diode structures are thus clearly desirable insofar as they are readily manufacturable within the context of semiconductor manufacturing technologies that are used for fabricating field effect transistor structures.
While gated diode structures are thus desirable within the semiconductor fabrication art, gated diode structures are nonetheless not entirely without problems within the context of semiconductor fabrication. In particular, gated diode structures, while possessing advantages derived from their simultaneous fabrication with field effect transistor structures nonetheless also suffer from any of several disadvantages that may also be realized incident to being fabricated simultaneously with field effect transistor structures.
Various diode structures, including gated diode structures, and methods for fabrication thereof, are known in the semiconductor fabrication art.
For example, Adams et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,441,396, teaches a semiconductor structure including a diode structure, and a method for fabricating the semiconductor structure that includes the diode structure. Within both the semiconductor structure and the method, the diode structure is used as a stress monitoring structure for other semiconductor structures near to the diode structure.
In addition, Maciejewski et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 7,227,204, teaches a diode structure having enhanced ideality, and a method for fabricating the diode structure having the enhanced ideality. The diode structure realizes the foregoing result by including an anode that includes separate regions that include an alloyed semiconductor material and an unalloyed semiconductor material.
Diode structures, such as in particular gated diode structures, are certain to continue to be useful within semiconductor structure and semiconductor device fabrication art as semiconductor structure fabrication requirements and semiconductor device fabrication requirements become more stringent. To that end, desirable are diode structures, and methods for fabricating those diode structures, that provide the diode structures with improved properties and enhanced performance.